AKURE, ONDO STATE — Security forces have reportedly raided an alleged Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) camp in the Owo forest axis of Ondo State, killing a senior commander identified as Abdussamad Ohida, also known as Anwar.
The operation took place 19 days after Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa issued a 14-day ultimatum directing kidnappers, bandits and other criminal elements hiding in the state’s forest reserves to vacate the area.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Forestry, Bidemi Joshua Obayangban, Ohida was killed alongside other members of the group during a joint security operation over the weekend. The operation involved personnel from the Nigerian Army, Department of State Services, Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Ondo State Security Network Agency, also known as the Amotekun Corps.
The security forces reportedly carried out a clearance operation in the forest in an effort to dislodge terrorist cells and prevent planned attacks on communities in southern Nigeria.
Commending the security personnel involved, Obayangban said the operation demonstrated the government’s determination to reclaim the state’s forests from criminal elements.
“On behalf of the state governor, I commend all the security forces involved in this successful operation. The clearance operation reflects the governor’s firm commitment to securing Ondo State,” he said.
He added that the operation would help improve safety for farmers, residents and investors across the state.
Governor Aiyedatiwa had issued the 14-day ultimatum on September 16, 2026. The directive, announced in Akure by Obayangban, ordered criminal groups operating from the state’s forest reserves to leave before the end of September.
The government had warned that failure to comply would trigger a coordinated security operation involving state security agencies, tactical teams and local hunters.
Starnews NG reports that the latest operation comes amid renewed efforts by the Ondo State Government and security agencies to flush criminal elements out of forest areas across the state.
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